Going My Way
by darkrunner
Summary: Jounouchi sucks at riding a motorcycle. Honda and Malik attempt to demonstrate the proper technique. Post-Zero-Reverse, Pre-5Ds. Motorcycle, aka Bananashipping for contest.


A/N: "Banana" is the stupidest shipping name I've ever heard. I will henceforth refer to this shipping as "motorcycleshipping".

I spoiled 5Ds episode 143 while I was researching for this fic. If you see epiosde 143 this week, you'll realize how much of a sacrifice that was.

5Ds sort-of crossover. Takes place after Zero Reverse, because I don't remember if there were D-Wheels before Zero Reverse. But _just_ after Zero Reverse, so still a good 15 years before the current 5Ds action.

Remember... motorcycleshipping.

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. I'm working on it, though.

* * *

"I don't know," Malik thought, scratching his head. "I can't really explain it."

"You just have to... feel the bike, y'know?" Honda added, unhelpfully.

"That doesn't help, Honda," Jounouchi grumbled. "You keep telling me that, and I keep falling on my ass."

"It's not my fault you suck at this," Honda said. "We've been at it all day, and you still can't make that turn. You're never going to get your license if you can't complete this course."

"Shut up!" Jounouchi growled. "I know that!"

"You'll get it!" Malik imterjected, coming between the two, who looked like they might hit each other. "Why don't you run the course again?"

"Alright," Jounouchi consented, putting his helmet back on and climbing onto Honda's old bike. The poor thing wasn't going to last much longer. Jounouchi had wanted to learn on a proper D-Wheel, but after seeing him attempt to ride, even Malik had admitted that Jounouchi better learn a little first and not wreck something that expensive.

Jounouchi kicked the motorcycle to life. So far, so good. He twisted the handle, and the engine purred in response. He picked his feet up, and started down the track. He wobbled, so he picked up speed, but hit that first curve, lost the bike, and flew comically into the hay bales, as he'd done all day.

"It's not working!" Jounouchi shouted from where he was laying. Honda and Malik jogged over to him, but without much urgency. If he could yell, then he wasn't hurt. "Why can't one of you explain this?"

"It's not that easy," Honda said. "Riding a motorcycle isn't like driving a car. It's like you're part of the bike."

"Still not helping!"

"Want us to show you?" Malik suggested.

* * *

Jounouchi was long forgotten as Malik and Honda wheeled their motorcylces into position. Honda had a regular motorcycle. Malik's D-Wheel was massive next to it.

"How much stuff do they shove into those things?" Honda asked, looking over the huge body. "How does it even run with all that extra weight?"

"Mine's a little one," Malik grinned, patting his D-Wheel like a proud parent. "You should see some of the newer models. Absolute giants. They've got more powerful engines to support all that junk. They don't realize they can do it with half the weight."

"And you can?"

"Yeah. This baby," he patted it again. "Is completely custom. I built it myself from the frame up. D-Wheels are a heck of a lot less complicated than standard combustion engines, actually. Momentum's a lot better to work with than wires and gasoline."

"If you say so," Honda replied, skeptical. He'd stuck with his "old-fashioned" bikes, and some environmental nuts got on his case every now and then. Momentum blew up half the city. He wasn't going to ride around with it. Motorcylces were dangerous enough.

"Momentum is a lot faster, too," Malik goaded, throwing a leg over his bike. Honda blinked. He hadn't expected taunting from Malik.

"Oh yeah?" Honda shot back. "We'll see about that."

They both started their bikes, revving engines at each other. They looked up, taking turns counting down.

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!" They both shouted, slamming their face-shields down and flying onto the track. The turn that Jounouchi spent hours laboring to master was child's play for them. Honda hugged the inside, leaning so far over he could have touched the pavement. But it paid off, and he took the first curve. Malik stayed in his blind spot all along the following straightaway, and Honda didn't know if he couldn't keep up or if he was waiting to make his move.

The next curve was a little one. Honda glanced over his shoulder to check on Malik, but no one was there. He heard the engine to his right all of a sudden, and whirled back. Malik sneaked to the inside when Honda drifted wide, and he pulled ahead.

The track was half finished, and Malik was widening the gap. Damn those dueling bikes, Honda thought. No one should need to go that fast while they're playing a card game. They're all going to kill themselves. Honda opened the throttle, determined not to lose to a D-Wheel. Drawing closer, he stayed right on Malik's tail. Malik noticed and started swerving to shake him off, but Honda stuck to him, waiting for the right moment.

The third bend was nearly a complete U-turn. It would be completely insane for Honda to try to pass on it. But when Malik took the outside, Honda couldn't resist cutting inside again. If he could have touched the pavement before, he was practically rolling on it now. But he knew what he was doing, and when he pulled out of the turn, they were dead even. What he didn't know was that this turn went straight into another. He kept control of the bike alright, but now Malik was on the inside and had the advantage. Honda got as close as he safely could, and then some. Malik looked at him, and inched towards the wall, both of them refusing to lose.

The turn worked itself out, and they were even again. They tried to pass on the straightaway, but their engines were equally powerful. Neither could push ahead. It all came down to the last turn.

"I won't lose to a D-Wheel!" Honda shouted.

"And I won't lose to a motorcycle!" Malik yelled back. They both gunned it, going too fast into the final curve, and not caring. Honda caught the inside, but Malik was right on top of him. So close to each other, neither could hold the turn tightly. Instead of hugging the inside corner, they both wound up on the outside. Malik, now against the wall, couldn't completely pull out of the turn and kicked off the wall. But Honda was right there waiting for him. He had no choice but to brake, losing control of the D-Wheel and dropping it. Honda twisted around to see where Malik went, drifted too close to the wall, and likewise ended up on the ground.

Jounouchi shouted from the stands and ran down to the track. Malik got up and brushed himself off. He'd had worse spills teaching himself how to ride. He was pretty sure Honda had, too, and wasn't surprised to see him standing already. They didn't need to check on each other. They knew they could handle themselves. Malik pushed his D-Wheel back up, surveying the damage. Paint was scratched, but nothing looked broken. "

"Hey, you guys okay?" Jounouchi panted, running up to Malik, who was closer to the gate onto the track.

"We're fine," Malik replied, feeling the side of his D-Wheel for dents. Honda walked up.

"You okay, man?" Jounouchi asked, but Honda waved him off.

"I'm good," he dismissed, kneeling down to look at the D-Wheel. "Your bike okay?"

"Mmm," Malik nodded. "I think it's just the paint, but I'm double checking. To lighten it, I got rid of a lot of extra casing, so there's not much protection."

Honda ran his hand over the unfamiliar parts. "Whoa, this thing is totally different from a normal bike."

"Yeah," Malik agreed, and started pointing out and naming parts. Honda was fascinated. Jounouchi, meanwhile, was getting more and more annoyed.

"So... we done for the day?" Neither of them heard Jounouchi, nor noticed when he left. They kept talking until someone kicked them off the track, and raced back through the streets of Neo Domino City to one of their places. They could figure it out as they went.

* * *

A/N: I wanted to use the universe I created in "Admission", since I threw Honda and Malik together during Doom, but I couldn't get it to work in time. This went with my shipping name a lot better, too.

I had Aki's learning-to-ride-a-D-Wheel episode in mind when I wrote this.

Motorcycleshipping.


End file.
